A VAR-y welcoming first few weeks

Just like every new transfer out there in the real world, I’m here to reflect on my first few weeks at my new ‘club’, Katoni. Unfortunately, my agent has not had me media trained yet, so you get to hear the unfiltered and honest truth.

Prior to joining Katoni, I was aware that it was no secret how much this company is connected to, intertwined with and overall love the game of football. (This may have been an influencing factor to put in my transfer request). My expectations were certainly upheld two weeks into my new role when the first social event I could attend was the ‘Katoni Summer Cup’. ?Whilst playing football is not one of the many attributes that landed me here at Katoni, this didn’t stop the guys from encouraging me to tag along to watch and take on some media duties. This was very quickly a regret from their perspective.

Katoni is a company that prides itself on its family feel and sense of community which was not only evident to me on this Friday afternoon out of the office but within the first few weeks of my new role and even the hiring process leading up to it. Coming straight out of university and into my first full-time job, everyone I spoke to within and out with company couldn’t sing their praises for Katoni’s company values loud enough, which is something that I can only begin to attest to now that I am here.

All this ties into the culture at Katoni, often referred to here as ‘The Katoni Way’. The Katoni Way is a term I’ve heard batted about the office since day one but it’s not just something they say, it’s something that they do, and I have already experienced firsthand. I suppose if we continue to use football as an analogy when looking at Katoni, there really is that emphasis of a team, in the office and outside of it which in this case was on the pitch. Whilst you may have ex-professional and current Highland league players, I can confirm that this did not change the standard of football of your typical office kickabout (apologies gents but I have the footage to back this up). Instead, it showed me that there is this sense of togetherness which is incredibly rare to find in a corporate work environment.

Getting involved in the local community is another element of The Katoni Way which attracted me to the company. Within my first few weeks I’ve managed to get involved with the organisation and fundraising element of our Family Fun Day with proceeds going towards our associated charity, the Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust. As Katoni have such a family focus, the family fun day acted as an opportunity to get together out of the office whilst raising money for a great cause at the same time. In such a short span of time, I’ve really been able to throw myself into these occasions with Katoni, helping me to establish better connections with those around me but also in the wider community, not something every job allows you to do so early on.

Going back the game in question, an additional thirty minutes of ‘extra time’ was added on. This conveniently had appeared to be enough time for the trailing team to claw back just enough goals to equalize before it was deemed ‘full-time’. Whilst I am aware was technically not accurate with the rules of the game, this showered me how competitive this group is and the drive that my colleagues possess, even if this does require more time than had originally been planned.

As mentioned, in such a short period of time at Katoni, I’ve been privy to a wide range of experiences. Ones which initially, I was naturally apprehensive about and others more in my comfort zone. From venturing out on my own as a representative of the ‘club’ to sitting in on pre-match tactic discussions, I’ve been provided with such a variety of unique opportunities. ?Nonetheless I am quickly learning that here at Katoni, I will continue to be challenged, some days might be more like pre-season friendlies and others like the Champions League Final and that versatility in my work is one that I look forward to tackling (this time no pun intended).

If you’ve gotten this far then you’re inevitably wondering if there was any relevance to the title of this article, or just another way for Katoni to make a reference to the beautiful game. Though I may love the sport, my talent remains watching on from the sidelines and on this occasion acting as Katoni’s very own VAR official.